A student athlete suffered an injury while playing softball and subsequently has pain in her shoulder. Her doctor prescribes cortisone, a strong anti-inflammatory steroid. When filling the prescription, the pharmacist warns her that an increased risk of contracting a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, is associated with the use of steroids. Based on your knowledge of the immune system and on the information in this scenario, what do you conclude about anti-inflammatory steroids?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Anti-inflammatory steroids, like cortisone, work by inhibiting parts of the body's nonspecific immune response, which can reduce inflammation but also lower the body's resistance to infections, such as bacterial infections.

A Student Athlete Suffered an Injury While Playing Softball and Subsequently